Shoe and stiffener-strip for the uppers thereof.



FQKOESTER.

SHOE AND STIFFENER sum m THE UPPERS THEREOF. APPLICATION FILED AUG-4. 1 911.

1396,4529. Piat ented Mar. 4, 1919;

nvemtoz I FRANK KOESTER, OF'NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOE AND STIFFENER-STRIP FOR THE UPPERS THEREOF.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK Konsrnn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the county, city, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shoes and Stiffener- Strips for the Uppers Thereof, of

7 which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention, are to provide as a new article of manufacture a thln, highly flexible, highly resilient, shoe upper stifienerstrip, and by its insertion and securing within the upper thereof, to also form a shoe of a new and improved form, of the laced-type, which is incapable of becoming wrinkled at thelower instep portion of the lacing-slit; which is greatly strengthened at U such portion where the greatest strain on the eyeletholes comes; where in weak-leathered uppered or vamped shoes, (especially where no metallieeyelets are used) the eyelet holes are frequently torn out and the'shoe practically ruined. V

Another object 7 avmore uniform distribution of pressure due to the pull of the lacing along the lacingslit, thus adding to the life of the shoe and the comfort of the wearer. V V 7 These objects I accomplish by providing a narrow and extremely thin but highly flexible and highly resilent stiifening-strip, with a perforation or perforations of such width or diameter as to permit of the pas- Sage therethrough of suitable lace-eyelets, or bases of the lacehooks when such are used, so as to secure the same to the shoe upper adjacent to the lace-slit; usually but not necessarily in all cases, located and concealed from view between the several plies of the fabric of which the shoe upper is formed, and beneath the upper-leather and above the lace-stay when in position in suc 1 shoe-upper extends upward from the vamp of the shoe to any required distance, according to the typeof shoe, in this case, to slightly above the third lace-eyelet from the bottom of the lace-slit.

My said inventlon is fully shown, described and claimed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, wherein similar letters of reference designate like or equivalent parts, wherever found throughout the several Specification of Letters Patent.

of the invention is to effect,

the metallic or other and quarter-lining, 7 which stiffener-strip I Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed August 4, 1917., Serial No. 184,388.

views, and in which Figure 1 is'a front view m detail of my improved lace-slit shoe stiifoxidizable variety; and when of oxidizable' metal provided with a protective covering of Japan varnish, lacquer, or, other suitable protective coating or covering.

Whatever the lengthxof such stiffeningstrip a, in the exact form which I prefer to I, use, but to which I do not intend to inany, .limit myself, the same is manner strictly rounded at the endsand provided with a plurality of circularholes or perforations b, spaced apart the distance the lacing-eyelets will be spaced apartwwhen' secured in place in the shoe upper, and such strips are secured in position in the shoe-upper, on either side of the lace-slit, at its lower end between'the plies of the upper, by theordie nary metallic (or other)v lacing-eyelets which pass throu 11 all such several plies of the upper, and 't rough such holes of the inter-.

posed flexible, resilient stiflening-strip- In this case three holes b are shown for the reception of such securingeyelets, or other like securing member, but the same may be increased "ndefinitelyin number, in case the strip be made longer. p

In cases where it is desired not to have the eyelets show, or in what is commonly known in the shoe-trade as the non-eyeleted laced-shoe, instead of having the eyelets passed through the outer upper, they may be only passed through the inner plies and the strip, and be concealed by such outer facing-ply, which is provided with perforations registering with the ori flees of such eyelets; which will give the shoe the appearance of a non-eyeleted one,

while being much stronger, and a shoe in front view in perspective of a I p of the shoe top being broken away at one side of the lace-slit ad bottom thereof in order to bet ply of the shoewhich however tight the lacing. edges are drawnythe holes of the upper leather, or the eyelets cannot be broken away.

I am aware that several devices, somewhat resembling my improved shoe-upper thin,

highly flexible, resilient stiffenin -strip herein shown and described, adapted to be used in shoes, and other various articles of personal wear, are to be found in the art; but none of them, so far as I have been able to learn, are of the same form or of the high flexibility, thinness and great resiliency necessary to bring about "the results, first to'my knowledge brought about by my invention herein disclosed, the purpose and design of which is (a) to prevent the shoe from wrinkling at the instep, and sometimes abovethe same, without cramping the foot,or'rendering the leather or other fabric of which the shoe-upper is composed of any greater stilt- .ness; and b to at the same time strengthen the shoe at the lacing-slit, in such manner that the lacing-eyelets, holes,'or other securing devices, performing the like functions, Wlll'llLVGlGSS likelihood of being torn out.

I am aware that British Letters Patent 12648, of 1877, shows a corset having adjac'e'ntto the slit a steel stiflening=strip, on

either'sid'e, through which, as well as through the superposed outer and inner'plies of the fabric of the corset, pass the eyelets for the reception of the corset cord, or lace; but in such construction, and for the purposes of giving a new and different shape to the torso of the wearer, as is the main purpose of a corset, such stiffening strip is of much greater stifl ness, and in most cases fully four or'inore times greater in stiffness, and nonfiexibility,th'an could be used in shoes, as in the case of my highly flexible, thin, highly resilient, stiffening-strip. V

I claim '1. Asian article of manufacture,'a lacedsho'ehfaving a thin, highly flexible resilient stiffening-strip secured to the shoe-upper along each' side of the lace-slit, provided with a plurality of apertures, for the reception of the shoe l'ace.

2. As an article of manufacture, a laced shoe havinga thin, highly flexible resilient stifl'ening-strip secured to the shoe-upper copies of this patent may be obtained for fi'v'e cents each/byaddressing the Commissioner ot 'Iatents,

along each side-of the lace-slit, provided with a plurality of apertures, and a lace-eyelet such apertures in the stiffening-strip securingthe same in position in the shoe-upper;

V 3. As an article of manufacture, a lacedshoe having a thin, highly flexible resilient stiffening-strip secured to the shoe-upper along each side of the lace-slit, provided with a plurality of apertures, and a lace-eyelet passing through the shoe-upper and stiffening-strip for eachof such apertures in *the' stiflening-st-rip securing the same in position, such strip being interposed between passing through the shoe-upper and each of the inner and the outer layers or plies of the shoe-upper. I Y

4. As an article of manufacture, a lacedshoe having a thin, highly flexible resilient: 7

stiflening strip secured to the shoe-upper along eachside'of the lace slit, providedwith a p'lurality o'f apertures, one-at either end-of such strip, and alace-eyelet passing through,

the shoe upper andstifi'eningstrip foreach ofsuch apertures 1n the stiffening-strip,- securlngthe same-1n pos1t1on,such strip being interposed between and concealed by the'inner and the outer layer'sor plies of-the shoeupper. V I

5. Asanartl'cle of2manufacture,=a stifl ening-strip for sti'fl'enin-oshoeupp'ers which is provided with perforations, and adaptof thin, highly flexible, resilient material, provided with three perforationsto receive the securing members, or lace-eyelets.

"Signed at New York city, in=thecounty of New York and State of New York, this 3d day of August, A. D. 1917.

FRANK KOESTER.

Witnessesz' ADAME. Sor'rA'Tz, "JOHN H, C. WEBER. 

